Archive for 2004
Should a woman stay home and not work to take care of the children?
Question: Should a woman stay home and not work to take care of the children? Answer: I find your question perplexing because I don’t know of a greater work or a more difficult work than that of raising children. One of the tasks assigned by God to women is that of home management. “That they…
Read MoreShould women use head coverings when praying?
Question: Should women use head coverings when praying? Answer: Consider also this similar question: Is it proper for a man to pray while his head is covered? The overall point in I Corinthians 11:1-16 is a discussion concerning authority, leadership, and submission. Paul states, “I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ,…
Read MoreChanging the Label Makes Sin More Dangerous
Author Unknown One of America’s great needs is to recognize sin for what it is. We are too prone to explain it away, or to soften its horrors. Wilbur Chapman tells of a distinguished minister who preached on sin, and one of the leading members came to talk to him in his study. He said…
Read MoreAre tongues still in existence today?
Question: Are tongues still in existence today? Answer: When the gift of speaking in tongues was first mentioned in the Bible, the people found it a wonder. “And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?” (Acts 2:8). Hence, the proper definition of “tongues” is “languages.” By…
Read MoreYou Can’t Tell Me What to Do!
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. It is generally the cry of the unhappy A. “You can’t tell me what to do!” B. I don’t recall ever hearing this in response to something agreed upon. It always comes with a disagreement. II. “I have the right to live my life as I see fit.” A. While it is true that each…
Read MoreBut He Never Enlisted!
by Sewell Hall He served in the army but … “he wasn’t a soldier.” We believe there is a lesson in the following Associated Press report: “An Army spokesman said Friday that 15 year old Walter Lee Martin is not recognized as a soldier — despite two periods of serving in Vietnam, because he did…
Read MoreThe Work of Baptism
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 6:1-11 I. A frequent objection raised to baptism is that it is a work A. “We are not saved by works.” we are told. 1. Romans 4:4-5 – Faith justifies 2. Ephesians 2:8-9 – Saved not as a result of works B. Now certainly baptism is something done, hence it is a work.…
Read MoreWhy Become a Christian?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Many here are Christians. You’ve been Christians for a number of years. Do you remember why you became a Christian? A. Many people that we talk to have never became a Christian. There are some here who have yet to obey the Gospel’s call. B. Why do they hesitate? What is it that…
Read MoreHow can I get my 8-year-old son to stop wetting his pants?
Question: We have a strong-willed eight-year-old son that occasionally wets his pants (once every two to three months when he’s too busy playing and the like). Recently, after a wetting episode, I decided to discipline him by diapering him. My wife felt it was not appropriate, and that I should just increase the severity of…
Read MoreShould a child’s pants be taken down for a spanking?
Question: I want to ask, please, if it’s good to take down the pants of a seven-year-old child for a spanking. Answer: When disciplining a child, spanking is not the only option available to a parent. Often, when parenting is done well, spankings will only be needed infrequently. Raising a child well also involves teaching…
Read MoreDoes the phrase “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” have a different meaning in Aramaic than in the Greek?
Question: I would like to comment on the use of Aramaic in Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani. It’s not the Greek word and its meaning that’s in question or the crux of the argument. The Aramaic is the problem. The Aramaic word that the Greek word was translated from was supposed to have more than one meaning…
Read MoreWhen Children Go Wrong
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. The raising of a child is a fearful responsibility. A. God entrusts you with the care of a precious soul wrapped up in a tiny body. B. All souls belong to God – Ezekiel 18:4 C. Each child is a precious gift 1. Jacob understood this – Genesis 33:5 2. The Psalmist so stated – Psalm…
Read MoreWhat Is the Law?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 19:7-11 I. Frequently, when people try to force an odd interpretation on the Scriptures or desire to ignore a portion of the Writings, they declare “Oh, that is part of the law, but I’m not under law. I’m under grace.” A. Seventh-Day Adventist divide the Old Testament into civil and…
Read MoreWhat is Salvation?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 51 I. The question seems almost ridiculously trivial, but in the years that I have talked with people about their salvation, I’ve come to realize that some of the misinformation out there is rooted in the fact that people don’t know what they are talking about. A. There is a…
Read MoreWhat Comes Out of Your Mouth
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 3:1-12 I. People are not known for their consistency II. What we say does not match what we do A. The Pharisees talked about doing the right things, but they did not put them to practice in their own lives – Matthew 23:1-4 B. Claim one thing, do something else – Titus…
Read MoreWhat Can Kill a Church?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 3:1-6 I. The certainty of life is that it will eventually be followed by death – Ecclesiastes 9:5 A. And it is not just people who die, churches die as well. 1. Unlike people, churches don’t have to die, but they do. B. The church at Sardis appeared to be alive, but…
Read MoreTrials of Life
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. God knows the hearts of men A. I Samuel 16:7 “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” B. Luke 16:15 “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your…
Read MoreThree Kingdoms
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. John 3:1-21 A. In this teaching to Nicodemus, Jesus alludes to three different kingdoms. One directly and two indirectly 1. The kingdom of the flesh, or the world. 2. The kingdom of God, or the Spirit 3. The kingdom in heaven B. One preacher, Alexander Campbell referred to these three kingdoms as the kingdoms of nature,…
Read MoreHow do you prevent teenagers from having pre-marital sex?
Question: How do you prevent teenagers from having pre-marital sex? Answer: “We have a little sister, and she has no breasts; what shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver; but if she is a…
Read MoreWhen did Saul reign in Israel?
Question: When did Saul rule Israel? How long was his reign? Answer: While the information given in the Bible has been repeatedly proven accurate, dates have been a particular challenge because earlier cultures did not use fixed calendars as we do. Instead, time was measured based as elapsed from certain major events or significant person.…
Read MoreWhat does the Bible say about employment?
Question: What does the Bible say about employment? Answer: During biblical times, people were self-employed, contract laborers, or servants obligated to long-term service. A contract laborer is seen in the parable of the field hands who were hired to harvest grapes (Matthew 20:1-16). Servanthood, or slavery, was generally entered through some obligation: a person might…
Read MoreThat Church Isn’t Doing Anything!
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 1:24-30 I. Periodically criticism is leveled at a church – not just this church, I’ve heard it said against many churches – “That church isn’t doing anything!” A. I will admit that there is always room for improvement. 1. There are many things I wish we had accomplished. 2. I sure there…
Read MoreTaking Courage
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 28:1-16 I. Suppose your boss never gave you any feedback concerning your job. You come in, do your job and leave, but you never hear a word of criticism or praise. A. It almost sounds like the ideal job. But I think most people would soon find it to be…
Read MoreSubstitutions
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. One of the local restaurants used to make wonderful chocolate-chip cookies. They were a bit expensive, but I would buy a dozen or sometimes more for the family. I used the past tense, because they changed their recipe. I suspected it the first time I saw them. I knew it as…
Read MoreA Study of Romans 14
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. I remember the shock I had a number of years ago to learn that Wayne Gretsky, the hockey player, was younger than I was. Somehow, I always thought that sports heros were older than me. A. Oh, we know we are growing older, but sometimes all the ramifications of maturity doesn’t hit…
Read MoreA Sin Leading to Death
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. I John 5:16-17 A. Some sins lead to death, but others do not B. We should pray for those who sin which does not lead to death. C. We are not to pray for those whose sin leads to death II. How do we tell which sin leads to death? A. Which kind of death? 1. Physical…
Read MoreSin in Action
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. I’ve been telling my wife that clearly I need to lose some weight. A. Teasingly I’ve pointed out that the concerns of the last few weeks have some benefit, I’ve lost my appetite and dropped a few pounds. B. Perhaps I can keep that going. I’ve heard: 1. If you eat something and no…
Read MoreShifting Blame
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. It doesn’t take long to realize that people generally avoid blaming themselves for their own mistakes. A. We fill our conversations with excuses for why things must be the way they are. B. “I can’t help myself” or “It’s just the way I am.” C. However, we know that we can do anything with…
Read MoreSir, We Would See Jesus at His Death
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 1:18-20 I. Certain Greeks once came to the disciples asking for the privilege to see Jesus – John 12:20-21 A. We don’t really know anything about the physical characteristics of Jesus. 1. We know that it was prophesied that he wasn’t handsome – Isaiah 53:2 2. But the reality is that they…
Read MoreThe Second Death
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Rev. 21:7-8 A. A sample of those who are going to die the “Second Death” B. Not a complete list, but it gives us an idea of the practices God views as punishable. II. What is the second death? A. First we need to answer, what is the first death? 1. All men have an appointment…
Read MoreThe Rights of God
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 11:1-18 I. When Peter returned to Jerusalem after the conversion of the Gentile, Cornelius, he met with opposition. A. He was accused of associating with unholy people – Acts 11:2-3 B. Peter recounted the events that led him to Cornelius’ house and the miracle that was done there. C. But the key…
Read MoreResolved!
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 3:7-14 I. The old year is behind us and a whole new year lies before us A. What does this year hold for you? 1. What would you like to do? 2. What will you actually do? B. Each day is unique 1. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” 2. Today…
Read MoreWhy do some women not wear a head covering?
Question: Why do women in the church of Christ overseas don’t cover their heads during worship? Is there any difference between Nigerian women and your own people? Nigerian women who worship with your people discovered that they do not all cover their heads during worship. Answer: I’m not in a position to speak for all…
Read MoreQuit Horsing Around
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 32 I. The Bible is filled with reminders to look at the world around us and learn from the examples we find. A. The ant is an example of industry and not procrastinating – Proverbs 6:6-11 B. Job recommended – Job 12:7-10 C. There is wisdom to be learned in observation -…
Read MoreThe Poor Among Us
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Poverty is an existing problem. It has always been this way and it will continue until the world ends. A. Jesus said “You will always have the poor among you.” – John 12:8 B. Poverty comes from a variety of sources: Circumstances, incapacity, and sometimes even by choice. 1. These things will continue to…
Read MoreWhat are your opinions about the Disney company?
Question: The Disney company presents itself as a producer of family-oriented products, but it appears to be simultaneously promoting immoral ideas. What are your opinions about the Disney company? Answer: Whenever you find a group of people working together, you are bound to find people of immoral character within the group. It is particularly disappointing…
Read MoreDoes a husband have the right to spank his wife?
Question: Does a husband have the right to spank his wife? Answer: Spanking is a form of discipline used by parents to correct their children, such as “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly” (Proverbs 13:24). The rod is a reference to a slender branch used…
Read MoreIs homosexuality a race?
Question: Is homosexuality a race? Answer: According to my dictionary, a race is “a lineage; a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock; a breed or stock.” In other words, a race is a breed of mankind. When two people of the same race have children, characteristics of that race are passed…
Read MoreOur Father in Heaven
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 11:1-13 I. God calls us to be His special people – II Corinthians 6:16-18 A. If we will separate ourselves from the world, God will be our Father and we will be His sons and daughters B. Why did God pick the role of a father to describe His relationship with…
Read MoreBabylon Clay Tablet Confirms Jeremiah
by Ben M. Shropshire via Lifeline, 7/15/00 The recent discovery of a cuneiform clay tablet by an Austrian scholar at the site of ancient Babylon confirms the historical accuracy of the book of Jeremiah. The recently deciphered tablet, which dates from 595 BC, refers to an official in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,…
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